Archive: October 15, 2022

CyberPeace Foundation launches its Centre of Excellence for cybersecurity at SAKEC Mumbai

Mumbai, October 2022: CyberPeace, a Global Non-profit and a social organization has recently conducted a multistakeholder discussion on “Data Privacy & Data Security” to generate awareness about Data Privacy and gather views on the nuances of Data Security in collaboration with SAKEC, V4WEB and Council for Fair Business Practices (CFBP) as a part of the ongoing campaign #drive4cyberpeace. The event was followed by the launch of the CyberPeace Centre of Excellence (CP-CoE) at SAKEC – a renowned college in Computer Engineering and Information Technology, the University of Mumbai. A CyberPeace Journal on Internet Governance and Cybersecurity was also launched on the occasion by the esteemed dignitaries from SAKEC, CyberPeace Foundation and industry.

With expedited digitalisation, start-ups and SMEs are becoming more prone to cyberattacks as their minimal security infrastructure can influence them even through normal emails. Considering the exigency of building a robust cybersecurity framework, CyberPeace foundation launched the CyberPeace Centre of Excellence which will be instrumental in creating awareness and skill development among the students to make the most out of cyberspace.

The centre will pose a robust platform for students, teachers, police personnel, industries as well as Government to join and take their research activity one level up.

Delighted with the launch, Major Vineet Kumar, Founder & Global President of CyberPeace Foundation said, “Cybersecurity has become a critical issue in this digital society. We are delighted to launch CoE at SAKEC to create an ecosystem for community driven research on Cybersecurity. It will also help to create a platform where netizens-academia, police, industries, common people, Government, and specialty at large can join for a peaceful Cyberspace”

The CoE will be engaging students in various activities like hackathons, device testing, policy analysis, innovation in the IoT industry, extensive blockchain research and many more. These activities will help the students to have a holistic approach and understanding of cyberspace so that they lead cyberspace in the times to come.

The launch of CoE was followed by the release of the organisation’s new journal that highlights the various aspects of Internet Governance in terms of cybersecurity at a global level.

Muthoot Finance Launches New 360 Degree Campaign Showcasing the Message ‘put Your Gold to Work’

Bangalore, 15 October 2022: Muthoot Finance, India’s largest gold loan NBFC Company announced the launch of their latest 360-degree marketing campaign, where their new mascot ‘Goldman’ will be featured and the campaign will drive the message ‘Put your Gold to Work’ for their various credit needs. The campaign conceptualized & designed by Maitri Advertising Works aims to highlight how idle gold at home can be put to use and how gold loans are all-weather loans. The campaign uses a comic approach and is played by some of the leading Indian comic faces like Johnny Antony, Brahmanand, Sadhu Kokila, and Redin Kingsley across four languages – Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, and Tamil respectively.

This unique campaign personifies the idle gold found at home in the form of the character of ‘Goldman’. It highlights how gold loans can meet the various financial needs of people across classes and various situations, and the convenience of availing one over other credit options in the market. It uses instances like studying abroad, business requirements, and home improvement to showcase how idle gold can be put to use by its owners. Through the campaign, the company aims to connect with a newer and younger target audience to showcase how their gold assets can be monetized to fulfill their dreams and needs.

Divided into three phases, the campaign uses a diverse media mix with TV, Print, Radio, Cable TV, Magazines, Theatre, Multiplex, OOH, BTL, On ground activations, OTT, YouTube, Social Media, and Other Digital assets being used to amplify the message. All of them revolve around the key messaging of ‘Put your Gold to Work’ and are played by regional comic legends. The TVC especially revolves around the expenses incurred on foreign education, while the digital videos cover the credit needs to be required for business purposes and home improvement etc.

Speaking about the campaign, KR Bijimon, Executive Director, of Muthoot Finance said, “Through this campaign, we wanted to amplify the trust and faith instated in our name to a newer and larger set of a younger audience. We believe that the younger people today are financially literate, and our gold loans are an ideal fit to meet their varied financial needs. There is only a partial population that considers gold loans as a quick and easy solution, but the ground is wider and deeper for us to explore. This campaign aims to showcase that, and urge our customers to use their idle gold at home to fulfill their dreams and needs.”

Commenting on the new campaign, Raju Menon, Managing Director, of Maitri Advertising Works said, “As one of South India’s largest independent agencies, we had researched the space deeply and realized that there was a huge untapped market consisting of the younger generation who are not emotional reluctant towards using their gold for credit needs. Based on this key finding, we recommended creating a unique communication for each of the four South Indian states. With this campaign, we adopted a more personal and witty approach to connect with our audience, especially with the younger set. Via this campaign, we will be able to reinstate the perks of availing a gold loan over other credit options available in the market and urge people to put their idle gold to work. To address our diversified audience we wanted our campaign to be socially and culturally inclusive, henceforth our commercials have been shot in four different languages and use a varied media mix to reach a larger set of audience.”

Let’s make this Diwali fun & festive with the quirky gadgets

Celebrated every year in the autumn by millions of people, Diwali is one of the most significant festivals in Indian culture. It is also probably the favorite and most celebrated Indian festival even by non-Indians worldwide. The beautiful festival of light celebrates new beginnings (also known as the Hindu New year) and the triumph of good over evil. The auspicious occasion of Diwali is an excellent instance where you need some excellent gift ideas. Diwali gifts could be tricky. You want to make sure that you give them a meaningful and memorable gift. Here are some gifts for your tech lovers fam:

Apple Watch Series 7

Apple Watch Series 7 features a re-engineered Always-On Retina display with significantly more screen area and thinner borders, making it the largest and most advanced display ever. It has a user interface optimized for the larger display, offering greater readability, plus two unique watch faces — Contour and Modular Duo — designed specifically for the new device. It comes with 18-hour battery life, built with crack-resistant front crystal and IP6X certification for resistance to dust maintaining a WR50 water resistance rating. It continues to offer indispensable tools for health and wellness, including an electrical heart sensor and ECG, Blood Oxygen sensor, and app.4 watchOS 8 helps users stay healthy, active, and connected through new workout types. The product is available on all apple stores and online stores like Amazon, Vijay Sales, and Chroma.

PLAYGO N37

Available in elegant Black and Yellow, Teal as well as Red colour variants, PLAYGO N37 is a smartly designed Bluetooth earphone which alludes to premium design attributes explicitly for the contemporary needs of millennials and the Gen Z population. With the ultra-flexible neckband, wearing these earphones automatically heightens the fashion quotient of the user.

A fully charged PLAYGO N37 can offer PLAY-time of up to 10 hours. However, even with a quick, 10 minutes of charge, the device can last for a whopping three hours of PLAYtime. Packed with a well-positioned mic for crystal clear voice communication as well as compatibility to voice assistants like Google, Siri, and Alexa, PLAYGO N37, is a treat for e-gadget users. In addition, it also comes with a multi-function button and a control panel for changing music tracks, accepting or disconnecting calls, and adjusting volume. It also sports magnetic earbuds that can automatically attach when not in use, making it easier to keep earphones safely without adding another chore to the user’s already hectic schedule.

BoAt Airdopes 501 ANC

The wireless earbuds are equipped with boAt’s Bionic Engine And Sonic Technology (BEAST). The Hybrid ANC can suppress noise at a broader range of frequencies, and adapt to and correct errors with an anti-noise signal that cancels out the actual background noise by the time it reaches your ear. Along with these, the list of features includes in-ear detection, ambient mode, and Insta Wake N’ Pair technology. With 5 hours for playback and up to 28 hours including the charging case, the earbuds also support fast charging, a 5-minute charge can provide up to 60 minutes of playback time.

There is also a one-touch voice assistant mode where you can summon Google Assistant or Siri to your service and check the weather, news, or latest cricket scores with a single tap. The boAt Airdopes 501 ANC has an IPX4 rating for water and sweat resistance. The product is available in all apple stores and online stores like Amazon, Vijay Sales, and Chroma.

PLAYFIT DIAL

If the person is a fitness enthusiast, this is the perfect gift. One of the most cost-effective options on this list is PLAYFIT DIAL, a one-of-its-kind smartwatch, integrated with features like a heart rate monitor, blood oxygen sensor, and others. The PLAYFIT DIAL is also dust and water-resistant and boasts an IPS display with numerous configurable watch faces. This smart device will help you to stay healthy and fit with incredibly awesome features.

JBL Xtreme 3

JBL Xtreme 3 comes with a focus on field-filling sound tied with a strap for lugging from park to pool to the beach and back again – and the strap has a bottle opener built in! It has a 100W of power on offer but the sound is surprisingly subtle and has two 7cm woofers for low frequencies and two 20mm tweeters for the highs, In addition, it can help you speak to your smartphone’s voice assistant too, and has Bluetooth 5.1. With a 10,000mAh battery that’s good for 15 hours, It can also juice up your mobile device using the built-in USB Type-A and Type-C ports, and act as a go-between from your sound source and headphones thanks to the built-in 3.5mm jack. The product is available on all apple stores and online stores like Amazon, Vijay Sales, and Chroma.

Celebverse Goes Live on Metaverse

Dubai, Oct 2022: Celebverse, a leading virtual real estate offering exposure to the burgeoning industry via Metaverse, is now live. It is the world’s first and only virtual world dedicated to ‘Adam & EU’, an original human couple and parents of the human race. With its help, one can acquire virtual property / NFTs and take advantage of various virtual accurate estate-centric services.

Celebverse is the revolutionary step towards Metaverse, providing users with the privilege to purchase parcels around celeb’s Metaverse Land. With the freedom, individuals around the globe can now enjoy their choice neighbourhood and own their space in the Celebverse.

As the name suggests, Celebverse is a first-of-its-kind celeb-centric virtual world where users can have an exclusive experience of celeb cities, concerts, studios, events, gigs, fashion shows, merchandise, stores, and much more. And at the same time, embracing a world built with celebrities across all walks of life, top brands, top entrepreneurs, anyone and everyone from sports, performing arts, entertainment, literature, influencers, etc., are all celebrities here.

Talking about it, Yogesh Dixit, Head of Operations, Asia Pacific, Celebverse said, “We aim to create an ecosystem where people can test their imaginations’ limits, enjoy the rights from minting a city to owning citizenship in their favourite celeb or brand city. Characters of Celebverse will be upto 85 percent of human reality. Driven by Web 3.0 solutions, users not just buy/trade or sell virtual assets but explore the unending possibilities supported by powerful, unshakable and trusted Smart Audit Contracts of the Ethereum Blockchain.”

Celebverse is a peer-to-peer network highly facilitated in the Metaverse. The platform offers detailed FAQs and a roadmap to acquisition. Citizens can own their NFTs, design, mint, buy, sell, and auction the land parcels. Newer celebs shall also benefit from having enthralling neighbors in the new world.

­­­­­ Gift Joy in a Box, this Diwali

This Diwali, light up your homes and lives with the best of gifts. From beauty and self-care products to drinks that add to the festive spirit, here is a list of brands for you to choose from. 

SIRONA

Mini Travel Cartridge Razor Problem: Sirona Mini Travel Razor helps you remove even the shortest of the hair easily, anywhere and anytime. Its unique design coupled with a rubber grip handle offers cushioned and comfortable grip for easy use; it’s rust-free 5 stainless steel blades ensure you get a precise and smooth shave. 

Exfoliating Face Wash: Sirona Exfoliating Face Wash gently buffs away dry, dull skin to support natural surface cell turnover, leaving the skin smooth and glowing. Infused with the goodness of Tasmanian pepper fruit extracts it cleanses and rejuvenates the skin without drying it out, leaving it soft, smooth and radiant. The face wash is antioxidant-rich and holds anti-inflammatory, anti-ageing & moisturising properties and is formulated for all skin types both for men & women. 

ST.BOTANICA

St.Botanica Vitamin C 20%, E & Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum, 20ML: St.Botanica’s Vitamin C face serum adds a natural glow while intensely hydrating the skin. Enriched with a stable derivative of Vitamin C, it works to make skin bright, soft and supple. This skin-brightening serum is enriched with natural botanical extracts that help fade away scars, dark spots and pigmentation while leaving a radiant glow behind. Enriched with natural ingredients, this face serum also firms the skin with its anti-ageing properties and diminishes signs of early ageing.

MYGLAMM

MyGlamm LIT Matte About It Lip Colour: Say hello to the oh-so-comfy, nourishing matte formula of MyGlamm LIT Matte About It Lip Colour. Powered by 3 hydrating ingredients – Moringa Oil, Castor Oil and Vitamin E for crack-free, luscious lips. Just one effortless swipe of this  matte lipstick imparts high-intensity pigment for that long-lasting, no-budge, no-bleed dance of colour. So no brownie points for guessing your next favourite matte lipstick crayon! Now, pick yours from this range of 12 ‘Gram-worthy shades or grab ‘em all to channel that main character energy for this Diwali season.

THE MOMS CO.

The Moms Co. Natural Vitamin C Face Wash: The Moms Co. Natural Vitamin C Face Wash is a powerful yet gentle cleanser that helps reveal a brighter and smoother complexion while retaining moisture in the skin. It has a unique formula enriched with Orange Beads that penetrate into the pores to remove impurities, excess oil and surface build-up. It’s a gentle yet powerful cleanser for the non-negotiable first step of the skincare routine.

MANISH MALHOTRA BEAUTY

Manish Malhotra Gold Flake Lip Gloss: An absolute treasure that will take you from day to night feeling like a goddess. The lip gloss is enriched with precious 24K Gold Flakes that will give you the perfect glossy lip glow that will make you shine bright like a diamond this Diwali.

Manish Malhotra Strobing Cream: The product is an amazing blend of ingredients  like Rice starch, Liquorice Extract and a blend of 3 Hyaluronic Acids. The strobing cream gives your face an elegant glow that’s long lasting, comfortable and lightweight. A versatile product that can be used as a base for your foundation, mixed with your foundation for a radiant look or as a light highlighter makes it your perfect go to makeup product this Diwali season. 

POPxo BEAUTY 

Pucker Up Lip Balm Kit: Enriched with shea butter and Vitamin E, free of parabens and beeswax, the lip balms are 100% vegan. With just the right amount of pigmentation, the lip balms in the kit can be worn just like that for a #NoMakeupLook or under your favourite lipsticks for added moisturisation. With this lip balm kit, level up your no-makeup look this festive season with three all-time favourite shades—cherry, berry, and strawberry.

Glamm Squad – This uber-glamm set of 3 liquid long-stay lipsticks are equal parts sweet and sassy. Available in 3 impressive shades of pink, plum and maroon, this kit is perfect to amp up your casual boho look that you picked out for Diwali which is cool yet chic. These highly pigmented lipsticks will help you to channel your inner.

ORGANIC HARVEST

Organic Harvest’s Aloe Vera Gel: Pick Organic Harvest’s Organic Aloe Vera Gel for the conscious sibling as it offers a one-stop solution to such skin and scalp issues. Available in 4 different variants, the new Organic Aloe Vera Gel is gender neutral and ideal for varying skin and hair types for all age groups. 

REEBOK

This festive season, gift your loved ones some stylish yet comfortable shoes from Reebok that will not only uplift their daily look but also push them to adopt an active lifestyle.

Reebok Classic Leather: With clean, minimalistic design and vibrant colors, Reebok Classic Leathers are the perfect trainers to amplify your everyday look without compromising on comfort.

Reebok Zig Dynamica 3.O: Zig Dynamica 3.0, with its innovative design, is a highly functional shoe that seamlessly transitions from the gym to the street and promotes the flow of kinetic energy throughout the shoes. Available in exciting colorways, Zig can amplify any look and become their go-to kicks for day-to-day activities.

JIMMY’S

This Diwali, raise a toast to the everlasting bond of togetherness with Jimmy’s®

Jimmy’s® Espresso Martini: Filled with the complexities and richness of an Espresso Martini, Jimmy’s Espresso Martini is a signature mixer made at the Jimmy’s Cocktail Labs in collaboration with India’s leading homegrown coffee brand- Sleepy Owl. Crafted for the caffeinated cocktail enthusiasts, this Espresso Martini cocktail is finely crafted with the punch of espresso coffee and infused with a balanced complexity of flavours.

PERNOD RICARD INDIA

Absolut Mini: Absolut Vodka Mini is a perfect gifting option for your sibling to experiment and discover her palette for flavoured vodka. 200ml Absolut mini bottles available in popular flavours of Citron, Mandrin and Raspberri will add flavours to the Raksha Bandhan celebrations.

Beefeater London Dry Gin: A quintessential London dry gin made with big juniper character and strong citrus notes, this is an authentic London dry for those who enjoy the authentic taste of gin.

Monkey47: Produced in the Black Forest region of Germany, Monkey47 is one of the most aromatic gins one can find. The accents of lime, fleshy berries and a woody forest floor give the gin both levity and depth. The fresh and exuberant Monkey 47 will surely become a favorite for those who are experimental and modern yet very evolved.

Chivas 12: Chivas 12, a 12-year-old blend, is created to be enjoyed as part of a high-energy, celebratory moment. The new-look Chivas 12 seeks to capture the attention of a new successful, status-driven and style-conscious generation of Scotch Whisky drinkers. Made up of the finest malt and grain Scotch whiskies, this 12-year-old blended Scotch whisky is the signature blend and will be an ideal gift to your father.   

Havana Club 7: The Havana Club 7 is a super-premium rum with BIO offerings that brings you ‘Cuba in a Bottle’. It appeals to young and affluent consumers who revel in exclusivity and indulgent experiences. It is a dark rum matured in ex Bourbon barrels, that bring out the rich natural flavours of Cuba in a versatile

Jameson: Jameson, which is the fastest-growing whiskey in India, has already become India’s #1 non-scotch whiskey in India in FY20 not only at a brand level – with Jameson Original becoming India’s top selling non-scotch whiskey – but also at a brand family level. Produced in Midleton, County Cork, from malted and unmalted Irish barley, Jameson’s blended whiskeys are triple-distilled, resulting in exceptional smoothness. The brand has been part of the Pernod Ricard since 1988 and continues to expand its acclaimed range to offer new taste experiences, especially with new launches such as Black Barrel and Stout Edition.   

Oaken Glow: Oaken Glow is India’s first premium smoky whisky, introducing consumers to a new and undiscovered segment. Unfolding a tale of layered richness, Oaken Glow is a blend of aged scotch whisky malts born in Scotland and bottled in India. Tearing up the rule book of traditional whisky making, Oaken Glow introduces discerning consumers to the unique innovation of a peat fired whisky.

ISDC organises roundtable on Education Beyond Borders: Internationalisation: The Way forward

New Delhi, October 2022: The International Skill Development Corporation (ISDC), the leading international provider of British education and skills in India, has organised a round table discussion today at Hotel Shangri-La, New Delhi. The speakers discussed at length “Education Beyond Borders—Internationalisation—the Way forward”. The discussion was attended by the leading colleges and universities from Delhi – NCR region. The focus was on the new UGC Regulations around International Collaboration between Indian and Foreign Higher Education Institutions based on the latest NEP developments.

The roundtable discussion was part of the all-India road show organised by ISDC. The event will connect 12 cities throughout the nation and will comprise 11 such discussion forums and one mega conference in Bangalore. The roundtable series started in Hyderabad on October 10th, 2022, and will conclude in Kochi on October 22nd, 2022.

Mr. Tom Joseph, Executive Director for Strategy & Development at ISDC, said, “The Government of India is taking a number of initiatives to promote internationalisation of higher education under the National Education Policy 2020. UGC has initiated the latest set of regulations around international collaboration between Indian and foreign higher education institutions in order to develop a conducive environment for Indian students. We are hopeful that through our series of roundtable discussions, we will be able to reach out to the maximum number of students, highlighting the positive aspects of the internationalisation of education and helping them achieve greater success in their respective careers. He further adds, “We would like to thank all the attendees for coming forward to make this event a huge success and also show their support for this revolutionary upgrade in the Indian education space.”

Margaret Curran, head of International Development, Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) said, “The collaboration between SQA and ISDC primarily aims to offer Indian students the opportunity to study in the UK with 2+1 arrangement wherever students study in India for two years and then for one year they attend classes in the UK Universities. This will enable students to acquire a degree from the UK in a more affordable option.”

The prominent speakers and guests at the event were Teresa Jacobs, Executive Director – Learning, International Skill Development Corporation (ISDC); Ms. Margaret Curran, Head of International Development, Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA); Michael Lee, Head-Global Development, International Skill Development Corporation (ISDC).

Pritam Sarkar, spokesperson and head of strategic initiatives, ISDC said, “More students are looking forward to pursuing higher education in the UK and that usually can cost them up to 10-15 lakh per annum only on tuition fee. The total expenditure can shoot up to Rs 80 to 90 lakh. So, an average Indian family cannot afford this. This is where our framework will help students to get the same opportunity but in a more affordable arrangement. The three-year programmes will be split into 2+1 where students study in India for the first two years and then pursue the last year at a university in the UK. We are collaborating with institutes in Kolkata and other parts of Bengal to provide the students with this framework.”

The colleges and universities who participated in the event were Amity University, Bennett University, Shiv Nadar University, Sharda university, K R Mangalam, Hansraj college, Bhagat Singh College, Maitreyi College, SGT university, Gargi college, SRM university, GLA university, MRU university Shiv Nadar University, Manav Rachna University, and Lal Bahadur Shashtri Institute of Management.

JB Pharma commits to ESG in its maiden Sustainability Report

Mumbai, India October 13th, 2022. J B Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd (JB Pharma), one of the fastest growing companies in India, today published its inaugural Sustainability(ESG) Report. The report is prepared following the international reporting standards framework, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) as its Core Standard, and linkages with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The report reflects on JB Pharma’s commitment to cascading practices across all operations responsible and fostering transparency regarding the company’s progress in its ESG objectives. The report can be accessed athttps://jbpharma.com/sustainability-report/
Business Leaders have increasingly realised that focusing merely on profits is no longer enough, and there is a pressing need to consider broader stakeholder considerations around customers, financial growth, and society at large.
“We are proud to share our inaugural Sustainability Report. It is an important step in the right direction and in line with our motto of good health for a healthier world. We believe in conducting business in a socially, environmentally, and ethically responsible manner with a defined approach towards environmental protection, natural resource conservation, and cost efficiency to ensure safety & health of our employees, communities, & planet at large.”, said Mr. Nikhil Chopra, CEO, JB Pharma.

Companies must also capture the value created for stakeholders, including traditional measures like revenues and costs as well as brand value, diversity and inclusion, sustainability, and community impact. And this should not be viewed as a compliance issue alone.

“JB Pharma has increasingly adopted a multi-stakeholder approach to determine its expectations about Environment, Social and Governance issues. The ESG report focuses on key factors which emerged to be most important for our stakeholders during the materiality assessment of our organisation.”, Mr. Chopra further added.

PE firms have also listed ESG initiatives as one of the top three priorities after talent management and product/strategy expansion. As companies expand their ESG footprint, expectation shift from risk management to value creation for potential investees and portfolio companies. Geopolitical challenges apart, regulators and investors are constantly striving to define the ESG phenomenon and implement matrices to ascertain the role of businesses in a society buffeted by existential challenges like climate change, the pandemic, conflict and social unrest.
Being a responsible company, JB Pharma has been constantly paving the way for enabling a greener and cleaner world. Since FY 2020 till FY 2022, the organisation has reduced energy consumption by 9.2% and augmented green energy through solar power. Additionally, its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions have reduced by 14.6% and 10.7% during the same period. Through its clean and green initiatives, JB Pharma has also ensured that its waste is properly disposed. During the reporting period, waste sent for co-processing stood at 757.65 MT. All sites are Zero Liquid Discharge. While protecting the environment, the organisation has also ensured the protection and well–being of its employees.

JB Pharma continuously strives to foster an equitable and desirable work environment through its policies and systems. As a result, the organisation witnessed a 20.6% increase in women representation across plants from FY 2020 to FY 2022 and 73 female employees working on the field, in an industry which is usually dominated by their counterparts. Its stringent health and safety practices also ensured zero work-related injuries during the year. With a people-centric approach, its CSR interventions continue to positively impact the lives of thousands across the nation.